Pak News Wire

Biden to Putin: Get out of Ukraine

Biden to Putin: Get out of Ukraine

Following a week of escalation in eastern Ukraine, Vice President Biden had some strong words for Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturd...

This or that? Lily Aldridge or Candice Swanepoel

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/834529/this-or-that-lily-aldridge-or-candice-swanepoel/"> 				<img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/834529-image-1423322117-687-160x120.JPG" width="160" /> 			</a> 			Despite being super busy these past few months with staging their first runway show in London, The Victoria’s Secret Angels didn’t forget to celebrate Valentine’s Day with New York. Angels Lily Aldridge and Candice Swanepoel were spotted looking heavenly dawning fuchsia frocks at the Victoria’s Secret Herald Square store to remind us that there is only one shade we want to wear right now and it isn’t grey! Lily Aldridge <img alt="" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/88.jpg" /> Hair and make-up Her streaked brown hair styled in loose waves and her dark eyes punched up with dramatic black and lengthening mascara ensured a simple and feminine look. Pairing a bold red lipstick with matte bronzed cheeks, Lily was a sight for sore eyes Outfit Lily showed off her supermodel figure in a classic Roland Mouret wool-crepe dress. The hourglass-enhancing design featured folding detailing around the neckline and the curve-clinging fit of the dress created a sultry hot-pink silhouette. Accessories To make the appearance all the more tempting, the 30-year-old model opted for brown and white T-bar heels. Wearing minimal accessories, she let her rose-pink ensemble do the talking. Candice Swanepoel <img alt="" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/96.jpg" /> Hair and make-up This angel kept up with the season of love and went for a flirty appeal. With her blonde mane relaxed, hanging straight to her sides, the blonde-bombshell kept her look simple and girlish. With minimal make-up, the model had her heavily mascaraed bright blue eyes do the talking. Outfit The ravisher opted for a full skirted hot-pink taffeta dress by Antonio Berardi which fit her like a glove. The tulip-shaped design stopped just below Candice’s knee to show off her super toned legs and the fit-and-flare ensemble highlighted her svelte waistline. According to redcarpet-fashionawards.com, the same dress was worn by actor Jessica Alba in pink and white during Spring 2015 New York Fashion Week. Accessories Leaving behind all accessories, Candice stood tall in a striking pair of pink and orange Alexandre Birman suede ‘Clarita’ sandals, which blended flawlessly with her rosy Berardi number. Compiled By Maria Ahmed Published in The Express Tribune, February 8th, 2015. Like <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ETLifeandStyle">Life & Style on Facebook, </a>follow <a href="https://twitter.com/ETLifeandStyle">@ETLifeandStyle</a> on Twitter for the latest in fashion, gossip and entertainment.

This or that? Lily Aldridge or Candice Swanepoel

Despite being super busy these past few months with staging their first runway show in London, The Victoria’s Secret A...

Banned Iranian filmmaker’s ‘Taxi’ hailed at Berlinale

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/834496/banned-iranian-filmmakers-taxi-hailed-at-berlinale/"> 				<img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/834496-image-1423321464-249-160x120.JPG" width="160" /> 			</a> 			BERLIN: Banned Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi, who has defied the authorities before by smuggling a film out of Iran, did it again at the Berlin International Film Festival on Friday with his film Taxi. The superficially whimsical but ultimately profound look at life and filmmaking in Iran, shot from the interior of a taxi with the director at the wheel, was shown despite a 20-year state ban imposed on Panahi. He is not under arrest but can be jailed by the judiciary at any time. Two years ago, he smuggled a movie to the Berlin festival on a USB drive, eliciting a protest to the festival from the Islamic Republic. At Friday’s premiere, festival director Dieter Kosslick didn’t say how Panahi’s film made it to the German capital, but he applauded his decision to continue making movies. “Panahi never accepted his 20-year ban and tried to make his work because he cannot live without making films and, by accident, we got this film here, maybe with a taxi?” Kosslick quipped. <img alt="" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/47.jpg" /> In the film, Panahi chauffeurs an odd assortment of people around Tehran, including two women who think they will die if they do not get two goldfish to the Ali Springs before noon. A male passenger, who admits he is a “freelance mugger,” argues in favour of the death penalty for criminals, with a woman teacher in the backseat, who thinks capital punishment is too severe for someone who steals to feed his family. She adds that only China executes more people than Iran. A girl playing Panahi’s niece tells her uncle after he picks her up from school that her teacher has told her the rules for making a “distributable film” in Iran. It cannot show anything sordid, which is what Panahi has been filming from his taxi, and the characters must be named after Islamic saints. Kosslick said Panahi’s wife and the actor playing the niece attended the premiere, while an empty chair was left for the director as he had not been expected to be allowed to travel to Berlin for the occasion. He said he did not think Panahi’s relations with the Islamic authorities were as dire as they were two years ago, when Tehran complained to the festival for giving Panahi an award for an allegorical movie made in defiance of the state ban. <img alt="" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/38.jpg" /> “Jafar is in a much better mood as a person because he is the cab driver in the film, and he is a funny cabdriver and has a lot of humour, which is good, because he was depressed three years ago,” said Kosslick. He said he had discussed the film with the Iranian Embassy and, while officials there “did not accept” it, he added, “I have not got the feeling that they (will) put more pressure on him — 20 years is already enough.” Panahi’s film is one of 19 vying for the Berlin festival’s annual Golden Bear prize. Published in The Express Tribune, February 8th, 2015. Like <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ETLifeandStyle">Life & Style on Facebook, </a>follow <a href="https://twitter.com/ETLifeandStyle">@ETLifeandStyle</a> on Twitter for the latest in fashion, gossip and entertainment.

Banned Iranian filmmaker’s ‘Taxi’ hailed at Berlinale

BERLIN: Banned Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi, who has defied the authorities before by smuggling a film out of Iran,...

I would like to be remembered with fondness: Atiqa Odho

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/834502/i-would-like-to-be-remembered-with-fondness-atiqa-odho/"> 				<img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/834502-AtiqaOdho-1423321311-817-160x120.JPG" width="160" /> 			</a> 			<div>KARACHI:  In the 1990s, she was an attractive young woman who made us curious about who and when she would get married to on STN’s Sitara aur Mehrunnisa. Later, in the PTV classic Nijaat, she made us feel the agony of failing to change her husband’s chauvinistic mindset. And then came Humsafar, in which her schemes as a strict mother-in-law became a cathartic experience for bahus on the other side of the idiot box. Despite many crests and troughs, Atiqa Odho has managed to keep a stable frequency in the media industry. As she steps into her 30th year in entertainment, we look back at how her journey began back in 1985. <img alt="" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/119.jpg" /> </div> “When I was approached by Anwer Maqsood sahab to act in Sitara Aur Mehrunissa, it felt like I had been waiting for that phone call for many years. It was more like a call of life, to perform and bring different characters on the screen,” Odho tells The Express Tribune. Her 30 years in media industry have been exciting, to say the least. There have been times when she had to work hard on her roles but along the way, she made lifelong friends — people she wouldn’t give up for anything. “I realised very early in my career as an actor that we connect so deeply with our pubic that it becomes our social responsibility to convey the right message. The world has been my stage and I have loved every minute of it,” she states. <img alt="" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/29.jpg" /> But how different is the industry now? “The entertainment industry has evolved in many directions. Technically, it has become stronger and easier. Unfortunately, scriptwriting has become limited as the channels are in a rat-race for ratings and this has been very damaging for the end product.” She believes that the volume of content being produced currently should churn out more Humsafars, but this is not happening due to weak scripts and poor production management in general. “It seems like we have had a boom that we were not prepared for.” <img alt="" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/210.jpg" /> Odho opines that, when serious money is pushed into any field, the stakes are higher. The entertainment industry in Pakistan is still in its embryonic stage. It is everyone’s responsibility to help it grow in the right direction. The current generation of actors, writers, producers and channel owners should play a parental role for the product. It must be protected and nurtured to become a well-rounded global product. “This doesn’t seem to be happening, as there is very little understanding on the governmental level regarding the global value of Urdu drama. We are the only country in the world that is producing this product and it has the ability to earn massive revenue for Pakistan from across the world, while reflecting our social and national values to a foreign audience.” To commemorate her 30 years in showbiz, Odho will put her professional archives on display at an art gallery. She will also host an exclusive event on February 14 at Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture (IVS), where people who have been a part of her journey will also be invited. “I thought this would be the best way to share my work with anyone interested in what my career-graph has been like. A person’s achievements are never acquired alone, as there are many others involved in the process. I have been blessed with a lot of love and support from many.” <img alt="" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/120.jpg" /> In the hope to give back to the society, she made a Facebook Page called ‘Power to Empower’, through which she has been promoting breast cancer awareness campaign for the past eight years. Odho urges youngsters to avoid shortcuts in life and do whatever they wish to with commitment and focus. “Years don’t come back and time is the most valuable asset we have. What you decide to do with your time is how you will be remembered in history. People die and leave us, but their deeds are left behind for all to remember. I would like to be remembered with fondness and respect when I am gone.” Published in The Express Tribune, February 8th, 2015. Like <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ETLifeandStyle">Life & Style on Facebook, </a>follow <a href="https://twitter.com/ETLifeandStyle">@ETLifeandStyle</a> on Twitter for the latest in fashion, gossip and entertainment.

I would like to be remembered with fondness: Atiqa Odho

KARACHI: In the 1990s, she was an attractive young woman who made us curious about who and when she would get married...

Merkel: Ukraine peace prospects ‘uncertain’

Merkel: Ukraine peace prospects ‘uncertain’

German Chancellor Angela Merkel says prospects for peace in Ukraine are "uncertain" following talks with Russian President Vladimi...

Girls: The target for terrorists

Girls: The target for terrorists

From Syria to Uganda, Pakistan to Nigeria, girls are targets for terrorists. CNN's Christiane Amanpour has the story.

What happens next in conflict?

What happens next in conflict?

Europe is urging Moscow to support a peace plan -- but will it succeed?

Pakistan not big threat to India in World Cup: Mohammad Azharuddin

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/834472/pakistan-not-big-threat-to-india-in-world-cup-mohammad-azharuddin/"> 				<img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/834472-mohammad_azharuddinafp__x-1423307623-934-160x120.jpg" width="160" /> 			</a> 			NEW DELHI: Former Indian cricket team captain Mohammad Azharuddin feels that the Indian cricket team face no serious threat from their arch-rivals Pakistan in the much-hyped upcoming encounter between the two next week in the World Cup, reported <a href="http://sports.ndtv.com/icc-cricket-world-cup-2015/news/237114-mohammad-azharuddin-doesm-t-see-pakistan-as-big-threat-to-india-in-world-cup-opener" target="_blank">NDTV</a>. “India-Pakistan is always a big game. We have not lost to Pakistan in the World Cup and that will play on everyone’s minds while going into the match. I believe that India have a good side and if they play well, I don’t think that Pakistan will pose such a big threat,” Azharuddin told PTI in an interview. “It’s not very easy to make their way into the final-four. They will have to play well consistently. I think they need to win more matches so that the confidence levels are high. If they start losing matches, it becomes very difficult to make a comeback,” the Hyderabadi stylist said “They have the side, they have the talent but eventually it boils down to how fit the team is and how well they adapt to different situations during the ODI games,” Azhar added. Having lost the Test series against the hosts and not being able to reach the tri-series final, the Indian cricket fortunes resemble the 1992 Australian summer when Azhar and company failed to make the semi-finals after a dismal performance Down Under. But Azhar opines that once the board agrees to a tour, there should be no excuses. “Look the board has accepted the itinerary and the calendar, so we should not complain. We were prepared and knew that we would play Test matches and then the tri-series before heading into the World Cup. The board agreed to it and the players knew exactly what they were doing and accordingly they should have managed their fitness. “The fear of injury is always there because it’s a tough game but at the same time we have to take care of it, because we knew the itinerary. So you can’t make these excuses,” he said. Azhar, like many cricket pioneers feels that fitness issues of many players is also one area which the team management should have addressed much earlier. “But we need to have a fit team, I think players, who are carrying injuries have been carried around and it’s not a nice thing. It keeps the other players who are going to replace them on the edge as well and it is not good for the team management because they are not certain of the fitness of these players. They cannot really plan if they have unfit players. “Ishant Sharma has been carried for more than a month, I don’t know what is he doing. You don’t know what Rohit’s injury is. Everybody thinks that he has got a hamstring injury, so nobody knows what’s happening. Bhuvneshwar Kumar is also carrying injury, so we really need to find out a fit bunch of players,” he said. Having served Indian cricket for 16-long years, Azhar was a pillar to the middle-order and still feels that batting remains the team’s main strength. “Bowling according to the conditions is the key and that has not been happening with our bowlers. Batting I believe is still not bad,” said the cricketer-turned-politician. Azhar, 51, who donned the dark blue jersey in the first coloured World Cup co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand in 1992, feels that even though cricket has come a long way it is always special to play Down Under. “Cricket has changed in the last so many years. Attitude in cricket has changed a lot because the game has become part of your growing society. In another 5 or 10 years down the line, things will again change in cricket. “But it is a good thing to be playing in Australia, very good atmosphere, good pitches and good conditions. If you are a batsman and doing very well then you should carry on the good work. If you are a bowler then you have got all the time to get used to the conditions,” he said.

Pakistan not big threat to India in World Cup: Mohammad Azharuddin

NEW DELHI: Former Indian cricket team captain Mohammad Azharuddin feels that the Indian cricket team face no serious ...

Suicide bomb attack in Baghdad kills at least 17

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/834469/suicide-bomb-attack-in-baghdad-kills-at-least-17/"> 				<img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/834469-blastpictureee-1423305028-221-160x120.jpg" width="160" /> 			</a> 			BAGHDAD: Bombings in the Iraqi capital killed at least 17 people on Saturday, hours before a years-old nightly curfew is due to be lifted, officials said. In the deadliest attack, a suicide bomber detonated explosives inside a restaurant in east Baghdad’s Jadida area, killing 12 people and wounding more than 30, said security and medical officials. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, but suicide bombings are almost exclusively carried out by Sunni extremists in Iraq, including the Islamic State jihadist group. IS spearheaded a sweeping offensive in June that overran large areas north and west of Baghdad, and Iraqi forces are now battling to push the jihadists back. Another attack – said to have been either a suicide or roadside bombing – hit a commercial area in central Baghdad, killing at least five people and wounding at least 13. Saturday’s attacks illustrate the persistent danger of violence in Baghdad even as the nightly curfew was set to end at midnight in the city. Lifting the curfew is a major change to a longstanding policy aimed at curbing violence in the capital by limiting movement at night, which has failed to stop frequent bombings. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi ordered the move this week, a decision his office said was taken so there would “be normal life as much as possible, despite the existence of a state of war”.

Suicide bomb attack in Baghdad kills at least 17

BAGHDAD: Bombings in the Iraqi capital killed at least 17 people on Saturday, hours before a years-old nightly curfew...

Players will participate in IPL after Pak-India series: Sethi

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/834010/players-will-participate-in-ipl-after-pak-india-series-sethi/"> 				<img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/834010-Sethicopy-1423220449-700-160x120.jpg" width="160" /> 			</a> 			KARACHI: Chairman of the executive committee Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Najam Sethi said Pakistan players will participate in the lucrative Indian Premier League after the 2015 Pakistan-India series takes place in December. The chairman, while speaking to the media in Karachi, also added that the Pakistan Super League will take place in Dubai, and not in Pakistan. Regarding the Bangladesh series, Sethi said, “The PCB has told Bangladesh to come and play a series in Pakistan in accordance with the Future Tours Program (FTP). Bangladesh offered us to play a series on their home grounds, but what about our expenses?” He also talked about the central contracts problem, saying that the issue will be solved after the World Cup and players will be given a year contract and their other demands will also be settled. Regarding the team selection for the World Cup, Sethi said, the selection committee has complete autonomy to decide the final 15. “The chairman is the final authority to sign the selected list according to the constitution, but the committee’s selection is respected and very few changes are made to that,” he said.

Players will participate in IPL after Pak-India series: Sethi

KARACHI: Chairman of the executive committee Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Najam Sethi said Pakistan players will part...

Standing up to be counted in ‘war zone’

Standing up to be counted in ‘war zone’

Russell Peters to perform in Bengaluru

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/834408/russell-peters-to-perform-in-bengaluru/"> 				<img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/834408-russell-1423285954-848-160x120.jpg" width="160" /> 			</a> 			BENGALURU, INDIA: Stand up comedian Russell Peters, who will be in India as part of his upcoming Almost Famous world tour, will perform in Bengaluru Feb 21. Starting Feb 11, Peters will also perform in Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad and Chennai. “After setting attendance records around the world and completing one of the biggest comedy tours ever with his notorious world tour, comedian Russell Peters to perform in Bengaluru on 21st February 2015 at the NICE grounds,” read a statement. The tour is part of Only Much Louder’s brand new festival Stage42. Stage42 brings together a handpicked selection of celebrated artists in the fields of comedy, music, theatre and food. Spanning across multiple cities, the festival will be a collection of events carefully crafted to bring the best of entertainment and culture.

Russell Peters to perform in Bengaluru

BENGALURU, INDIA: Stand up comedian Russell Peters, who will be in India as part of his upcoming Almost Famous world ...

Dhoni becomes father of a baby girl

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/834446/dhoni-becomes-father-of-a-baby-girl/"> 				<img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/834446-dhoni-1423296528-886-160x120.jpg" width="160" /> 			</a> 			Just a week ahead of the cricket World Cup, India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni became a father after his wife Sakshi gave birth to a baby girl at a private hospital on Friday, reported <a href="http://photogallery.indiatimes.com/celebs/sports/mahendra-singh-dhoni/articleshow/46152865.cms" target="_blank">The Times Of India.</a> The 33-year-old cricketer became a first time father after his daughter was born at Fortis Hospital in the evening. Dhoni had tied the nuptial knot with childhood friend Sakshi Singh Rawat on July 4, 2010 and Sakshi is generally seen travelling with her husband on tours but she didn’t travel with Dhoni during the Australia tour. Sources close to the family said that the baby was born almost a month earlier, right on schedule for the World Cup. Dhoni is currently busy preparing for India’s title defence at the World Cup in Australia.

Dhoni becomes father of a baby girl

Just a week ahead of the cricket World Cup, India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni became a father after his wife Sakshi g...

Woods withdraws with back problems

Woods withdraws with back problems

Tiger Woods' season took a turn for the worse when he was forced to withdraw from the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines just 11 hol...

How selecting a jury really works

How selecting a jury really works

CNN legal analyst Danny Cevallos explains how jurors get selected to sit on a trial -- and why it can take such a long time.